Driven: Agustín Creevy
Argentina captain Agustín Creevy is targeting revenge against South Africa after his men’s narrow defeat in Pretoria.
A far cry from the 73-13 thrashing suffered by Argentina in 2013, Creevy’s team pushed the Springboks all the way in horrendous conditions at Loftus.
Enjoying the upper hand in the scrum, Creevy underlined the dissatisfaction with the result after coming so close to a first ever win over South Africa.
“We are not happy, because we couldn’t get a try [in the dying minutes] and because we lost,” said Creevy.
“We are a group that works hard and will make the sacrifices we need to the revenge in Salta.”
Rugby Planet
“We [the pack] became stronger and the backs also produced a great match, but we are still disappointed – because we wanted to win.”
Creevy revealed how his time vowed not to be beaten in the same manner as 2013 following Ruan Pienaar’s early try.
“When they scored that early try, we got together under the uprights and said to each other we will not capitulate like last year,” added Creevy.
“We managed to get up and gave them good fight.”
“We demonstrated that we are on their level and it was a nice game, but we wanted to win and we were not going to sit back now.”
“We know that they will come better prepared for the rematch in Salta, but we’ll have our people supporting us and hope to make a better contest and perhaps get the win.”
Speaking after their narrow 6-13 loss to the Springboks at a drenched Loftus Versfeld at the weekend, Pumas flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez said teams are now beginning to respect the South Americans.
Argentina are still looking for their first win, now into their third season of the Southern Hemisphere championship, but they know they squandered a chance to break that duck.
The Pumas, who were third at the World Cup in 2007, have lost 12 of their 13 Rugby Championship clashes since joining the expanded competition in 2012.
They drew at home with South Africa in Mendoza two years ago.
“We have a feeling we are gaining more and more respect with each passing game,” Sanchez told a post-match media scrum in Pretoria.
“We put South Africa under a lot of pressure and could have tied the game in the last minute,” the Pumas pivot said.
“We are really disappointed because I think we were really close to a result and let it escape,” added Sanchez after they squandered three late chances to snatch a try and possibly hold their hosts to a second draw.”
Sanchez paid tribute to his team’s forwards who largely dominated South Africa in the scrums, rucks and mauls.
“The forwards had a great game with both the line-outs and the scrums working well.”
“But we are going to have to double that effort, because we know South Africa will re-double their effort in Salta,” he added referring to next Saturday’s return game in the northern Argentine city.
@ ufo:
Completely on the mark, why take rugby so seriously when we are still going to be emo about winning?
…even if it was admittedly frustrating at the time.
@ ufo:
Lol, by all accounts the 30th at Loftus 😀
Let’s see what happens further with the RC, I’m most certainly now of the opinion that anything can happen…..although I will stick with my pre tournament prediction that we will end 3rd….but I could be and probably am way off.
nortierd wrote:
but our world ranking is second.
@ MacroBok:
MB, you Bulls supporters are rightly upset with the current state of your team?
It’s understandable and the cries for Ludeke’s head is also understandable, yet when the Bokke struggle against (IMO) lesser opponents, you seem to accept that and give them all the benefit of the doubt?
Something doesn’t add up
MacroBok wrote:
For now
MacroBok wrote:
Ps. As UFO said, it’s only a number.
I think we will be 3 by the end of the year, but if 12 can almost beat 2 then it doesn’t really matter what our ranking is or will be in any case
@ nortierd:
People at Loftus will talk loudly with their feet Nortie.
I wont say I am happy with struggling vs arg, but there is no use getting upset about it, because we still won and rarely looked like losing, even in the last minute we would not let them in.
Did we win…yes
did we not win as well as we wanted…no
can we forget the weather and completely write them off as useless opponents…no
Do we have to get all emo…no
@37
Good, we are on the same page now, just to add, rain can be a pretty good leveller.
38 @ MacroBok:
Good, that means the game against Province on the 30th will almost be like another WP home game 🙂
@ nortierd:
Steady on Nortie…. Argentina can turn it on every now and then… Rankings don’t mean much to me, it’s on the day, cos how can Japan be better than Argentina..
@ nortierd:
I think the empty stands might actually throw wp off
Scrumdown wrote:
Ha you are funny today Scrumdown of course Tonga have a better chance as it won’t be Wales but Great Britain at the Olympics (see I am awake and spotted what you did there), unless of course Tonga fail to qualify for the Olympics then they and Wales have an equal chance at winning a medal…ZERO
Te Rangatira wrote:
Very simple TR, Japan turned it on consistently, not every now and again….therein lies my problem….one good game every couple of years should not make them something they are not.
More importantly, I’m not worried about an Argentine side turning it on every so often, I’m concerned with why my side don’t also play consistently to the level they should.
But, I digress, I have laid this bugbear to rest.
Will just see how things go from here on in and hope we continue to win, whether lucky or ugly or whichever way
MacroBok wrote:
Stands won’t be empty boet, it will be full of Province supporters who live in Pta or Jo’burg
At least it looks like it will be dry for the test so hopefully we will see some good rugby, although probably fairly warm (for playing rugby at full pace) and combined with the altitude may sap the guys energy. Salta is in a valley near the Andes and not quite at same altitude at Pretoria or Johannesburg more like Polokwane’s height.
42 @ Bullscot:
My point is actually that the likes of Tonga, the Cooke Islands, Swaziland and Sri Lanka have a BETTER chance of getting a medal than England, Wales or Scotland.
Hence the decision (to include Rugby at the olympics) is flawed and only a (somewhat stupid?) marketing exercise not aimed at rewarding anyone in particular.
If the likes of Kenya were to go through and win a bronze medal, what would it be woth? Are they consistently better than England on the 7’s world series?
The IRB should be growing the game, but in a productive way. (IMO) This is anything but.
@ nortierd:
OK Nortie… I understand your desire to see your team play to their potential… but we both know that this doesn’t happen sometimes…and there are a fair few of these types of games scattered through Meyers reign…I put it down to focusing on the big prize…taking down the Abs…and timing when that potential is revealed..
46 @ Scrumdown:
I see what you mean and there was problems with Scotland football not allowing their players to play for Team GB in London Olympics but for me don’t see it an issue for the 7s as we already have the precedent of the British and Irish Lions team and we all know it what high esteem that tradition is held. I see having the 7s at the Olympics more a thing we should embrace as a positive means of getting our game out there to a wider audience and not having the home nations all competing individually increases the chance of others to get a medal, although in the end to be honest it will still probably come down to SA, New Zealand, Fiji, Aus or GB. Look at it this way in Athletics the separate countries are grouped as Britain and you may find that a Welsh, Scot or English person who could beat competitors from other countries don’t make the cut so 7s being there is not really that different. I had a look at a table of all time points accumulated through the years at 7s and I think in 15 years it had Kenya one place above Scotland (Kenya 10th) on that list and this year Kenya ended 7th in the series versus Scotland 12th and last year they ended 5th, above England.
Argentina sometimes fields a 2nd string team in Tests – then they don’t do so well, & it obviously has a negative impact on their Test rankings. Some scribes & bloggers seem to forget this. Argentina’s Test ranking is no indication of their true ability, & even less of their grit, passion & pride.
But when the Pumas field their 1st XXIII, they’re usually competitive.
In June this year (& in 2013) they fielded their 2nd stringers. On Saturday they fielded their top players – this makes a huge difference seeing that their depth in player resources cannot be compared to that of Eng, SA & NZ …
@ Angostura:
Yep…short term loss for long term gain… Argentina will eventually compete consistently at this level and the only way to get there is building depth…Here’s hoping they can back up a competitive game with another big effort…a step in the right direction
48 @ Bullscot:
Point taken, but in Rugby it’s somewhat more complex.
Ulster are undoubtedly a strong provincial / club side in the European Rugby scene.
Their (home grown) players represent Ireland at Rugby, and are eligible for the B&I Lions, as are players from the Republic, but at the Olympics, Northern Irishmen and women may choose to represent either GB or Eire, but citizens of the Republic may only represent Eire.
It’s a flipping dog’s breakfast.
@ Angostura:
I know that, and made reference to it as well on the match thread, but what bothered me even more about that is the fact that the team we played on Saturday hadn’t played together since last year.
The Pampas side played in June, and it’s indicative that they don’t have any decent depth and only about 20-30 semi decent players.
We played 4 matches in June, the Pumas that we played against 0.
They were in the USA in a camp.
So does that mean that the argument of having to play together to produce results have any merit?
If they can have 1 warm up game against a French Top 14 team and then push us close, while we have had 4 matches and camps and we struggle mean that we should play a Kwagga side in the June tests and rest our first choice players as well?
@ nortierd:
I don’t know why you are so uptight about the Pumas running the Bokke close:
If you were to look at all of TRC results you would notice that only the All Blacks (#1in the world) have consistently done well vs. the Pumas – conversely most (bar 3 from 9) of the Bokke & Wallabies’ matches vs. the Pumas (in TRC) were actually keenly contested, close run showdowns …
Get over the disappointing performance of the Bokke – it was more true to form than an aberration.
What you should worry about is how the Bokke will do against the Wallabies (not the Pumas) – that’s our acid test …
@ Angostura:
I’m of the opinion that we will lose to the Wallabies, and not based on the game against Argentina either, since the SR it’s been clear they are on an upward curve and showing McKenzie they want to play.
Angos, what I fail to understand is how so many supporters can dismiss these type of performances against lesser teams, and at home, as “ag, don’t worry, it’s a bad day at the office” type of phenomena.
Are the Boks beyond any reproach? May we not call a spade a spade? I know it’s the national side and we do support them, but jeepers, if they play kak, surely we can admit it?
@ nortierd:
Everyone agrees it was a poor performance in poor conditions.
3 days later and you are still banging on about it.
You’ve stated your opinion and the fact is not many people agree with you.
It’s farking boring.
Reminds me of Grantie and Smittie.
@ gunther:
In answering specific people yes.
I’m all for freedom of speech – say or write what you like:
But the Bokke often disappoint against weaker teams & tend to reserve their best performances against strong opposition
Also, with so many South Africans now plying their trade abroad (and not in Super Rugby), & a substantial number of foreign-based saffas now playing for the Bokke, the correlation between Super Rugby failure/success & The Rugby Championship failure/success may increasingly become rather tenuous.
(Proteas disappointing vs. Zim – a bit like their brothers, the Bokke? – must be something in our national psyche …)
Nobody is saying anything about freedom of speech.
But to bang on about the same thing for days regurgitating the same stuff is boring.
I’ll be back when the subject matter changes.
You guys keep at it.
😆
@ Angostura:
@ Angostura:
@ Angostura:
@ Angostura:
Something in the water here
😆
@ gunther:
Oh, OK – see you in 2016, then … 😀
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